Chapter 416: Ebb and Flow

Third-and-five. Masterfully outmaneuvering the opposition, he demonstrated his superior football IQ—reading the defense, arranging the play, and selecting his passes to crush them with sheer intelligence. It was like pulling a tooth from a tiger’s mouth, a hair-raisingly close call, but he managed to advance the ball and score a touchdown.

The same old formula, the same old magic. This seemed to have become the San Francisco 49ers’ calling card this season.

Now, in the tenth week of the regular season, everyone was finally realizing what a perfect score on the Fonderick test truly meant for a quarterback.

Although Lu Ke’s physical fitness and natural talent could only be considered average, barely reaching the standard for a quarterback, there was no denying it: on a tactical and passing level, Lu Ke was already showing the flair of an elite, top-tier quarterback. He had truly established a firm foothold in the Alliance.

As a rookie quarterback, Lu Ke’s grasp and understanding of the playbook were so exceptional it was maddening. Even many seasoned veterans who had seen it all had to admit they were outmatched.

In terms of quarterback rating, Lu Ke had now surpassed Aaron Rodgers to lead the entire Alliance. Some might still question the fairness and objectivity of the rating system, but for the Defense Team players lining up against the 49ers offense, the feeling of being constantly on the back foot was all too real.

More importantly, the stereotype about Lu Ke’s physical abilities stemmed from the Rookie Training Camp and the preseason. As the regular season went on, his improvements weren’t immediately obvious to the public. After all, with games every week, subtle changes in weight, explosive power, and other details weren’t easy to perceive.

But for his opponents, they were facing an upgraded version of Lu Ke who was getting better every single week. It was a crushing realization.

This week, on the very first drive, the New York Giants were feeling it firsthand.

On that last play, two yellow flags were thrown on the field, and both were against the Defense Team for holding.

One was on a play targeting Logan Newman, and the other on Ted Ginn Jr. If not for the holding penalty, Ginn’s pure speed would have allowed him to break free, shaking off the double coverage and charging into the End Zone. He would have been another target for Lu Ke on the left side.

Clearly, the San Francisco 49ers offense was firing on all cylinders, their firepower proving truly intimidating. Even with the New York Giants resorting to penalties, they couldn’t be stopped.

Since both penalties were against the Defense Team and the San Francisco 49ers had already scored a touchdown, Jim Hubble chose to decline the penalties, accepting the result of the play: a touchdown.

David Akens led the special teams onto the field and successfully kicked the extra point. After a chaotic start, the home team, the San Francisco 49ers, drew first blood, taking a 7-0 lead.

And so, Eli Manning took the stage!

In the stands of Candlestick Park, Li Monian rose to his feet, calling for the five hundred Chinese fans to stand with him. They raised their signs high, once again forming the “King of the Bay Area” mosaic. Then, in perfect unison, they began to chant, “King of the Bay Area! King of the Bay Area! King of the Bay Area!”

The voices of five hundred people were barely noticeable. Amidst the roar of seventy thousand fans, they were like a tiny stream in a raging flood, instantly swallowed and drowned out. But they didn’t give up. They kept shouting relentlessly, becoming an integral part of that flood, doing their part to make things more difficult for the opposing offense.

Jiang Youning couldn’t help but look up at the red-faced Lu Zhengze. This version of her husband was completely unfamiliar. When they watched games at home, he was so much calmer. Right now, he was like a total stranger. But a smile still crept onto her lips. His fervor, his passion, was completely unleashed in the stadium’s sea of red.

No wonder people always said that being there in person was a completely different experience from watching on TV.

Jiang Youning raised her hands high and joined the chorus. Turning her head, she saw a fan next to her in a wheelchair, seemingly unable to stand. But their gazes met, and their eyes shone with the same light. Then, at the same time, they both clenched their fists, pumped their arms, and yelled:

“King of the Bay Area!”

Even though they were complete strangers, in that moment, their pulses and heartbeats were perfectly in sync. The feeling was exquisite.

…

Standing in the middle of the field, Little Manning couldn’t help but look up, surveying the vast, surging sea of red before him. The shouts gradually merged into a single, unified roar as the entire stadium chanted the same phrase: “King of the Bay Area.” The force of it was palpable, carried on the air, and even he could feel his own blood begin to stir.

Little Manning knew, however, that this army was not on his side. They were the enemy. Still, this version of Candlestick Park was a novel sight. He couldn’t help but crack a wide grin before pulling his focus back, shouting to his teammates to set up the play.

But it was no easy task. The difficulty of playing on the road was clear to see. Candlestick Park was slowly becoming another Devil’s Home Court within the Alliance.

It wasn’t just Little Manning. Every player on the Giant Team offense could feel the disruption. After the thrilling first drive, the home crowd’s enthusiasm had reached a fever pitch, a frenzied outpouring that boosted their team’s morale while crushing the visitors’ ambition. As one side’s spirits rose and the other’s fell, frustration began to creep in.

This frustration manifested on the ensuing drive.

The New York Giants’ first offensive showing of the day was choppy and disjointed; they couldn’t get anything to connect.

On their first set of downs, they found themselves in a third-and-three situation. At the critical moment, Little Manning decisively found Wide Receiver Victor Cruz. An undrafted rookie last year, Cruz had exploded onto the scene this season, becoming the Giant Team’s most important receiver. This play was no exception.

Cruz made a spectacular catch, relying on his raw athletic talent, but he was immediately swallowed by two defenders and couldn’t advance. Even so, they had barely managed to get the first down—gaining just enough on third-and-three to land right on the sticks.

The Giant Team offense wasn’t so lucky on their next possession. After a messy, out-of-sync series, they went three-and-out. On third-and-six, Little Manning’s pass was so wild it flew straight out of bounds, looking less like a throw and more like a shanked penalty kick heading for the stands.

With all eyes on them, the New York Giants offense trotted off the field after less than three minutes, handing possession back to the San Francisco 49ers. But that wasn’t the end of it.

Because the offense had gained so little ground, the special teams’ punt was poorly angled and short, landing around the San Francisco 49ers’ 30-yard line. The returner, Marcus Lynch, once again showed off his skills, dodging and weaving all the way to the 45-yard line before finally being gang-tackled and brought down by three opponents.

Though he didn’t manage another return touchdown, Marcus’s excellent runback still earned his team fantastic starting field position. The home team was clearly riding a wave of momentum, and the fans roared their approval once more.

In today’s clash of titans, despite a bumpy start, the home team had found its footing and successfully seized the initiative.

Taking the field with the offense once again, Lu Ke was completely calm. After the chaos of the opening, he was now in the zone—focused and free of distractions. Standing on his own 45-yard line, just five yards from midfield, Lu Ke had no intention of letting this prime offensive opportunity go to waste.

First-and-ten. Lu Ke handed the ball off to Anthony Dixon. Marcus had just handled the return, so putting Dixon in would change up the running pace and give Marcus a chance to rest. Behind some excellent blocking from the offensive line, Dixon found his rhythm and managed a solid five-yard gain.

Second-and-five. Lu Ke took the snap and threw quickly. A short, three-yard pass connected with Crabtree, who then found an open lane and charged forward like a freight train. He gained another eight yards before being shoved out of bounds, stopping the play.

And just like that, the San Francisco 49ers were at the opponent’s 42-yard line. The drive was fluid and seamless, giving the other team no room to breathe.

Having been beaten down and suppressed since the opening kickoff, the New York Giants Defense Team finally seemed to hit its breaking point. Pushed into a corner, they erupted with a new ferocity.

First, they swarmed Dixon, tackling him for a two-yard loss before he could even get going. Then, without warning, they sent a five-man blitz that viciously tore through the pocket. Jason Pierre-Paul was the first one through, and he slammed Lu Ke to the ground—

In fact, Lu Ke had immediately started to backpedal, trying to create space, but his scrambling speed in the pocket was no match for the rush. Jason Pierre-Paul closed in at lightning speed and planted him with a massive sack. It was not only the New York Giants’ first sack of the game, but it also resulted in a fifteen-yard loss for the 49ers, a true clash of power.

This time, Lu Ke had no chance. He couldn’t even throw the ball away to avoid the loss of yardage. He was simply slammed to the turf.

And so, the San Francisco 49ers were faced with a difficult third-and-seventeen, pushed all the way back to their own 41-yard line.